Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:44 pm on 12 March 2001.
Baroness Castle of Blackburn
Labour
2:44,
12 March 2001
My Lords, is the Minister really satisfied with a situation in which the Government, having launched a massive take-up campaign directed at half a million people, by this stage can report only that 80,000-odd people have responded? Can the Government explain why people do not like means testing? I hope that the Minister will not say that they are too rich to benefit. Does the Minister realise that as a result of the pensioner credit the number of those on means-tested benefits will rise dramatically and something like 5½ million people whom the Government say will qualify for pensioner credit will become means tested? If the Minister cannot sell the present system to the potential recipients, can she hope to persuade 5½ million people to take up their due?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
